The Way of Salvation

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Ephesians 2:5, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

\WE BELIEVE THAT THE SALVATION OF SINNERS IS WHOLLY OF GRACE: THROUGH THE MEDIATORIAL OFFICES OF THE SON OF GOD; WHO BY THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FATHER, FREELY TOOK UPON HIM OUR NATURE, YET WITHOUT SIN: HONORED THE DIVINE LAW BY HIS PERSONAL OBEDIENCE, AND BY HIS DEATH MADE A FULL ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS; THAT HAVING RISEN FROM THE DEAD, HE IS NOW ENTHRONED IN HEAVEN; AND UNITING IN HIS WONDERFUL PERSON THE TENDEREST SYMPATHIES WITH DIVINE PERFECTIONS, HE IS EVERY WAY QUALIFIED TO BE A SUITABLE, A COMPASSIONATE, AND AN ALL SUFFICIENT SAVIOR.

I. “SALVATION OF SINNERS IS WHOLLY OF GRACE.”

A. Remember our previous lesson on Total Depravity.

1. Because men are totally depraved, they cannot do anything to help themselves come to God.

2. God must come to them.

B. Define grace.

1. Royal favor.

a. Grace always is downward – as a king give grace to his subjects. Grace is never upward – as the servant giving grace to the king. There is a difference between being “gracious” and giving grace.

b. Grace is always at the will of the one above us. We can influence the one above us by being conciliatory, but one who is dead in sins does not want to be conciliatory.

2. God’s forgiving mercy.

3. Grace is God giving to us that which we do not deserve. Mercy is not giving to us that which we do deserve.

4. Grace is never earned.

a. Every other “belief system” except the true “system” believes that men must do something, which entitles them to grace.

b. Catholics believe there are seven things you must do to be saved, all of which enable you to have a little more grace.

c. Church of Christ teaches that a person receives the grace of God when they go down into the water.

d. Most all religions teach praying, enables God to give grace for salvation.

C. Ephesians 2:5 states, “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

1. Paul, by the inspiration of God declares that sinners are saved by GRACE.

2. The word GRACE means “unmerited favor”, the undeserved love of God bestowed upon mankind through His Son Christ Jesus.

3. Paul says that men are saved by God’s GRACE apart from baptism or church membership or good works

D. Ephesians 2:8-10.

1. Verse 8 – Paul tells us that sinners are saved by God’s undeserved love and God saved them through faith which is a gift to those whom God saved and not something they work up or out themselves.

2. Verse 9 – Paul says that God saves sinners this way and this way only and no man can boast of their good works and say they saved themselves.

E. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. Matthew 18:11 – “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Jesus had just finished explaining that little ones (children) should be allowed to come to him, for he is come to save that which was lost.

2. Acts 15:11 – “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” The conclusion of this discussion is that no person is saved by keeping any part of the law, that salvation comes through the grace of God, no other way.

3. I Cor. 3:5-7 – “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? 6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” This is pretty self-explanatory. Any person that holds anybody except Christ as the author of their salvation is sadly mistaken.

4. I John 4:10 – “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

II. “THROUGH THE MEDIATORIAL OFFICES OF THE SON OF GOD.”

A. John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

1. God’s love for sinners, both Jew and Gentile constrained Him to send His Son into the world to live the perfectly righteous life that men are unable to live and God requires in order to stand in His Holy presence.

2. Deuteronomy 7:7,8 – “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” We have not caused God to love us – he loves us because he loves us.

3. Jesus not only lived for both Jew and Gentile, but he was willing to be made sin for them and die on the cross of Calvary paying their penalty for sin.

4. Every lost sinner whether Jew or Gentile, red, yellow, black, or white, that believes in Him as their personal sin bearer and Savior will never perish but have everlasting life.

B. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. John 1:1-14 – These verses give us understanding of why Christ came into the world and what he intended to do.

2. Hebrews 4:14 – “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”

3. Hebrews 12:24 – “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

III. “WHO BY THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FATHER, FREELY TOOK UPON HIM OUR NATURE, YET WITHOUT SIN.”

A. Philippians 2:6-7 – “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

1. Verse 6 – Paul tells us that though Jesus was equal in glory with the Father even before the worlds were framed, He allowed no thought of selfishly using His outward manifestation of glory to bring about the salvation of sinners. In other words, He did not appear in all of His pomp and wonderful glory that He enjoyed with the Father in heaven to win His present honor and glory, but chose the way of humility and condescension and therefore earning the glory and honor that is His as the only Savior of lost sinners.

2. Verse 7 – Jesus laid aside His glory, He emptied Himself of all manifested glory and condescended or degraded Himself to the place of a man.

3. Jesus came to this earth and was born in the likeness of man, but without sin. He lived His life on this earth as a man yet without sinning as all other of mankind has done and satisfied the Father as a perfect or sinless man and then took upon Him the penalty of the sinners due and die upon the cross to satisfy the demands of God’s law concerning sinners.

B. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. Heb. 2:9 – “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

2. Hebrews 2:14 – “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

3. II Cor. 5:21 – “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

IV. “HONORED THE DIVINE LAW BY HIS PERSONAL OBEDIENCE.”

A. What has already been said in our last thought will throw much light upon this one.

B. Isaiah 42:21 – “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

1. Isaiah is speaking of Jesus many years before He appeared in the flesh said that He would please the Father and honor His law.

2. Jesus was examined by God according to the law and found without spot or blemish.

C. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. Phil. 2:8 – “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

2. Gal. 4:4-5 – “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”

3. Rom. 3:21 – “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;”

V. “AND BY HIS DEATH MADE A FULL ATONEMENT FOR OUR SINS.”

A. Isaiah 53:4-5 – “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

1. It is by his suffering in our stead that we are healed of the guilt of sin.

2. Our good works and willingness to suffer are not the cause of God the Father cleansing us from all (past, present, and future) sin.

B. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. Matt. 20:28 – “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

2. Romans 4:25 – “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

3. I John 4:10 – “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

4. I John 2:2,3 – “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

5. I Cor. 15:1-3 – “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;”

6. Heb. 13:15 – “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

VI. “THAT HAVING RISEN FROM THE DEAD, HE IS NOW ENTHRONED IN HEAVEN.”

A. Heb. 1:3 – “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

1. When Jesus who is God in the flesh had purged our sins the Bible says He sat down because the work required for our salvation was completed.

B. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. Heb. 1:3-8 – “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. 5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 6 And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

2. Col. 3:1-4 – “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.”

VII. “AND UNITING IN HIS WONDERFUL PERSON THE TENDEREST SYMPATHIES WITH DIVINE PERFECTIONS, HE IS EVERY WAY QUALIFIED TO BE A SUITABLE, A COMPASSIONATE, AND AN ALL SUFFICIENT SAVIOR.”

A. Hebrews 7:25 – “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

1. This verse tells us that because of who Jesus is and what He has done He is able to save every one of them that come unto God by Him.

2. Jesus not only saved them, but saved them to the uttermost or forever seeing He is the ETERNAL SAVIOR.

3. He Not Only Saves Us Forever, but he is continually praying for us at all times as our Great High Priest in heaven.

B. Other scriptures that teach this to be true are:

1. Colossians 2:9 – “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

2. Hebrews 2:18 – “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

3. Hebrews 7:26 – “For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;”

4. Psalms 89:19 – “Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.”

5. Psalms 45 – This song describes the blessedness of Christ and how he has done great things for all his people.